Locum psychiatrists providing poor care in Scotland, campaigners say

Scottish NHS boards have spent more than £125m since 2019 to provide temporary cover amid drop in consultant numbers

Mental health campaigners have protested about the significant use of temporary locum psychiatrists in Scotland, alleging it leads to substandard and harmful medical care.

Peter Todd, a campaigner based in Caithness in the north of Scotland, said the heavy reliance on locum psychiatrists by the NHS was evidence of a growing crisis in mental health services across the country.